The vehicle-scrubbing specialists at Paul's Car Wash & Lube Center buff cars to a burnished shine with hand-powered washes. As the half-hour Elite Wash unfolds, cleaning technicians tend to the outsides of cars, bathing them in a sudsy lather and rinsing off caked-on mud, insects, and junkyard magnets. All four rubber rollers gleam after a wheel-brightener and tire-dressing treatment; to care for the rest of the car's body, the staff applies a clear coat sealant and Rainbow wax to leave the exterior protected and shiny. Finally, a vacuum tears through the interior in search of loose filth before a sweet-smelling air freshener settles down to disguise the car's natural factory odor.

At each of its locations throughout the area, the technicians of Los Angeles Car Care keep their customers mobile with a wide variety of automotive repair capabilities. The team deals with leading manufacturers such as Michelin and Uniroyal when cars need new tires, but also forestalls a big tire purchase with computer balancing, rotation, and convincing current tires to think younger. Owners can also bring their sickly cars in for procedures ranging from oil changes and tune-ups to transmission repairs.